Alligator Free Kayaking? In search of...

[Bobby J]

Just stay out of the way of the big ones, especially during mating season. Otherwise, most of the ones around here don't want anything to do with a man in a kayak. As someone else wrote, the only way to escape them is to head way north to central/north Alabama or Georgia. My suggestion is to just go where ever you want and learn to appreciate being able to paddle in the same water where they live. Do remember to respect any animal with a mouth larger than your head. ;-)

SJ,
Having known DK a long time I do not feel he would mind the "big ones" during mating season. He is however worried about being bit....;-)

 

[Smiling JOe]

SJ,
Having known DK a long time I do not feel he would mind the "big ones" during mating season. He is however worried about being bit....;-)

Chomp!!!

Please inform DK that the alligators will bite him if he tries anything with them, and also let him know that having sex with animals is more than wrong, it is a felony in most states.

 

[Mango]

Chomp!!!

Please inform DK that the alligators will bite him if he tries anything with them, and also let him know that having sex with animals is more than wrong, it is a felony in most states.

A jailgator

 

[Bobby J]

Chomp!!!

Please inform DK that the alligators will bite him if he tries anything with them, and also let him know that having sex with animals is more than wrong, it is a felony in most states.

I must apologize. I just read the complete thread. I did not realize we were talking about alligators?I just made the connection of DK and "big ones" and mating season! Alligators never occurred to me. I will be sure to let DK know. He probably did not know it was a felony!

 

[drunkkenartist]

OMG! I don't know where to begin, so I'll take you all on at once! (Shut up Bobby!)

Realistically, the way you're going to find truly gator-free kayaking is to drive to central or northern Alabama or some other place where it gets cooler in the winter than it does here.

Short of that, open water in Choctaw Bay isn't too bad. They have trapped in Boggy Bayou in the past when the gators got too close to a couple of swimming areas, though it's been a while, but on the flip side, I've never seen gators in the stretch of Turkey Creek south of Colleve Blvd.

Thank you beachmouse, I'm taking notes and will be looking this up!

Try the Econfina Creek Canoe Livery in Youngstown, FL. We went there and canoed two years ago. Nice canoe trip. You stop at the first bridge, which is 7 miles. There are 6 or 7 springs off to the side for viewing. Two older women came down to where we were being picked up on kayaks. They had their truck parked at the pick up point. Calm water, have to maneuver around a tree or two which is challenging. Great place.
Here is their website: www.CanoeEconfinaCreek.com

Why couldn't I find that website when I looked for it? (Shut up Bobby). Thanks for posting. I only live 10 miles from Econfina

We grew up swimming with gators Drunken, don't be too worried about them.

Thanks skunky, but Floriduh had a record number of gator attacks last year. Following our record number of shark attacks!

SmileyJ told me all you need to do is hit it on the snout with your paddle and it will go away. I've been on Western Lakes dozens of times and I've never had the opportunity, though. I think alligators must run at the sight of the pink paddles. Durn!

I'll keep that in mind, but I don't have pink paddles. I'm just not that gay.:funn:

Just stay out of the way of the big ones, especially during mating season. Otherwise, most of the ones around here don't want anything to do with a man in a kayak. As someone else wrote, the only way to escape them is to head way north to central/north Alabama or Georgia. My suggestion is to just go where ever you want and learn to appreciate being able to paddle in the same water where they live. Do remember to respect any animal with a mouth larger than your head. ;-)

Oh, so you know my ex wife?

How about the pool at Seacrest. It is really big

I've considered it.

SJ,
Having known DK a long time I do not feel he would mind the "big ones" during mating season. He is however worried about being bit....;-)

Shut up Bobby.

Chomp!!!

Please inform DK that the alligators will bite him if he tries anything with them, and also let him know that having sex with animals is more than wrong, it is a felony in most states.

Actually, and seriously, up here in Washington County within the week, we had a goat that was gang raped- to death! Sickening and embarrassing. They are taking dna (not dka) samples. I hope they catch the b*stards.

Shut up Bobby.

A jailgator

I love you.:funn:

I must apologize. I just read the complete thread. I did not realize we were talking about alligators?I just made the connection of DK and "big ones" and mating season! Alligators never occurred to me. I will be sure to let DK know. He probably did not know it was a felony!

Shut up Bobby. You just made me spit good wine on the screen again.

much love,

dka

 

[drunkkenartist]

Oh DA, I feel for ya.

You know, several years back I had similar run ins with alligators and other creatures.

I set out on what was to be a leisurely day on the water, outfitted only for a short camping trip, when I found myself pursued by alligators and was forced to canoe deeper into the Choctawhatchee swamps. Soon, all measure of strange creatures were chasing me, including dangerous encounters with dinosaurs, particularly a Tyrannosaurus rex I nickname "Grumpy". I also had to tangle with menacing Sleestak and ambiguous "cave-men" called Pakuni -one of whom, Cha-Ka, I befriended.

It was only thanks to the help of Cha-Ka is was able to find my way home.

Be careful out there- it?s a weird, weird world.

Look out for Sleestaks in the swamps of South Walton

30 gAy!!!!!!!!!!! I used to LIVE for Saturday morning and the Sleestaks! Haven't thought about them in years! Great, now I have one more thing to watch out for on my alligator infested swamp I call a lake.

 

[John]

Seriously, there are plenty of kayaking opportunities in SoWal that will be alligator free. There doesn't seem to be many of them left in our coastal dune lakes. The smaller lakes, like Alligator Lake, are more likely to have them (I've seen a few). But most people don't boat on the smaller lakes. I bet that if we had a contest one morning, to see who could spot a gator from a kayak, no one would find one.

Does anyone recall an incident of an alligator problem with a kayaker in SoWal?

Happy paddling...

 

[Smiling JOe]

Never heard of an incident with gators around here. Heck, I rarely see them. I think I have seen maybe one a year while living here -- mostly smaller gators less than 6ft in length, except for a big one up Black Creek. I consider myself lucky when I see one. I grew up swimming and waterskiing in a lake with plenty of gators, so I guess I am not bothered. They have never messed with me, and I try not to mess with them, if you know what I mean.;-) Back last summer on that same lake, my Dad saw a trapper across the creek from his house, catch a gator measuring 12ft with part of its tail missing. Someone from the local marina had called and complained that the gator had been hanging around their boats and they were concerned. I am much more cautious about where I let my dogs swim on that Lake, but around here, I haven't seen one big enough to take on my dogs.

 

[Bobby J]

The only Alligator incident I know of was in Pandora's Parking lot. True story but my lips are sealed!

 

[beachmouse]

I've heard the one about the general's wife's dog getting eaten when she was out walking him by the Hurlburt Field golf course. And there was a picture in the Bay Beacon a while back of a three footer that decided to plunk down in the parking lot of the North Bay Fire Department station while the fire commission was meeting.

But for the most part, the gators don't want to bug the humans.